Television Channel Display Device and Method Thereof

ABSTRACT

An Internet Protocol television system includes a set-top box that receives requests to display video streams being transmitted to a household. In response to the request, the set-top box provides a list of the video streams to a display device. The list includes options to terminate transmission of one or more of the streams. This allows a user to determine which video streams should be transmitted when bandwidth limitations are reached.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/196,931 filed Jun. 29, 2016 which is aContinuation of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/868,138 filed Oct. 5, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,414,019 issued Aug.9, 2016. The contents of each of the foregoing are hereby incorporatedby reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

This invention generally relates to television systems, and moreparticularly relates to Internet Protocol television systems.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Bandwidth limitations in an Internet Protocol television (IPTV) systemmay limit the number of video streams that can simultaneously betransmitted to a household. Moreover, it is possible for the householdto request a number of video streams from the IPTV system that wouldexceed the bandwidth limitation. In this case the IPTV system will nottransmit one or more of the requested video streams, which can result ina poor viewing experience.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration,elements illustrated in the Figures have not necessarily been drawn toscale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements areexaggerated relative to other elements. Embodiments incorporatingteachings of the present disclosure are shown and described with respectto the drawings presented herein, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a particular embodiment of anInternet protocol television (IPTV) system;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a particular embodiment of a videomonitoring system in the IPTV system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a particular embodiment of a display of thevideo monitoring system of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a particular embodiment of a set-top box inthe video monitoring system of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of a particular embodiment of a method foraccessing a video stream over an IPTV system; and

FIG. 6 is a flow chart of a particular embodiment of a method fordisplaying a list of video streams.

The use of the same reference symbols in different drawings indicatessimilar or identical items.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The numerous innovative teachings of the present application will bedescribed with particular reference to the presently preferred exemplaryembodiments. However, it should be understood that this class ofembodiments provides only a few examples of the many advantageous usesof the innovative teachings herein. In general, statements made in thespecification of the present application do not necessarily delimit anyof the various claimed inventions. Moreover, some statements may applyto some inventive features but not to others.

FIG. 1 shows an IPTV system 100 including a client-facing tier 102, anapplication tier 104, an acquisition tier 106, and an operations andmanagement tier 108. Each tier 102, 104, 106, and 108 is coupled to oneor both of a private network 110 and a public network 112. For example,the client-facing tier 102 can be coupled to the private network 110,while the application tier 104 can be coupled to the private network 110and to a public network such as the Internet. The acquisition tier 106can also be coupled to the private network 110 and to the public network112. Moreover, the operations and management tier 108 can be coupled tothe public network 112.

The various tiers 102, 104, 106 and 108 communicate with each other viathe private network 110 and the public network 112. For instance, theclient-facing tier 102 can communicate with the application tier 104 andthe acquisition tier 106 via the private network 110. The applicationtier 104 can also communicate with the acquisition tier 106 via theprivate network 110. Further, the application tier 104 can communicatewith the acquisition tier 106 and the operations and management tier 108via the public network 112. Moreover, the acquisition tier 106 cancommunicate with the operations and management tier 108 via the publicnetwork 112. In a particular embodiment, elements of the applicationtier 104 can communicate directly with the client-facing tier 102.

The client-facing tier 102 can communicate with user equipment via aprivate access network 166, such as an Internet Protocol Television(IPTV) network. In an illustrative embodiment, modems such as a firstmodem 114 and a second modem 122 can be coupled to the private accessnetwork 166. The client-facing tier 102 can communicate with a firstrepresentative set-top box device 116 via the first modem 114 and with asecond representative set-top box (STB) device 124 via the second modem122. The client-facing tier 102 can communicate with a large number ofset-top boxes over a wide geographic area, such as a regional area, ametropolitan area, a viewing area, or any other suitable geographic areathat can be supported by networking the client-facing tier 102 tonumerous set-top box devices. In one embodiment, the client-facing tier102 can be coupled to the modems 114 and 122 via fiber optic cables.Alternatively, the modems 114 and 122 can be digital subscriber line(DSL) modems that are coupled to one or more network nodes via twistedpairs, and the client-facing tier 102 can be coupled to the networknodes via fiber-optic cables. Each STB device 116 and 124 can processdata received from the private access network 166 via an IPTV softwareplatform such as Microsoft™ TV IPTV Edition.

The first STB device 116 can be coupled to a first display device 118,such as a first television monitor, and the second STB device 124 can becoupled to a second display device 126, such as a second televisionmonitor. Moreover, the first STB device 116 can communicate with a firstremote control 120, and the second STB device 124 can communicate with asecond remote control 128. In an exemplary embodiment, each STB device116 and 124 can receive data or video from the client-facing tier 102via the private access network 166 and render or display the data orvideo at the display device 118 or 126 to which it is coupled. The STBdevices 116 and 124 thus may include tuners that receive and decodetelevision programming information for transmission to the displaydevices 118 and 126. Further, the STB devices 116 and 124 can include anSTB processor 170 and an STB memory device 172 that is accessible to theSTB processor 170. In a particular embodiment, the STB devices 116 and124 can also communicate commands received from the remote controls 120and 128 back to the client-facing tier 102 via the private accessnetwork 166.

In an illustrative embodiment, the client-facing tier 102 can include aclient-facing tier (CFT) switch 130 that manages communication betweenthe client-facing tier 102 and the private access network 166 andbetween the client-facing tier 102 and the private network 110. Asshown, the CFT switch 130 is coupled to one or more data servers 132that store data transmitted in response to user requests, such asvideo-on-demand material, and one or more video content servers 180. TheCFT switch 130 can also be coupled to a terminal server 134 thatprovides terminal devices, such as a game application server and otherdevices with a common connection point to the private network 110. In aparticular embodiment, the CFT switch 130 can also be coupled to avideo-on-demand (VOD) server 136.

The application tier 104 can communicate with both the private network110 and the public network 112. In this embodiment, the application tier104 can include a first application tier (APP) switch 138 and a secondAPP switch 140. In a particular embodiment, the first APP switch 138 canbe coupled to the second APP switch 140. The first APP switch 138 can becoupled to an application server 142 and to an OSS/BSS gateway 144. Theapplication server 142 provides applications to the STB devices 116 and124 via the private access network 166, so the STB devices 116 and 124can provide functions such as display, messaging, processing of IPTVdata and VOD material. In a particular embodiment, the OSS/BSS gateway144 includes operation systems and support (OSS) data, as well asbilling systems and support (BSS) data.

The second APP switch 140 can be coupled to a domain controller 146 thatprovides web access, for example, to users via the public network 112.The second APP switch 140 can be coupled to a subscriber and systemstore 148 that includes account information, such as account informationthat is associated with users who access the system 100 via the privatenetwork 110 or the public network 112. In a particular embodiment, theapplication tier 104 can also include a client gateway 150 thatcommunicates data directly to the client-facing tier 102. In thisembodiment, the client gateway 150 can be coupled directly to the CFTswitch 130. The client gateway 150 can provide user access to theprivate network 110 and the tiers coupled thereto.

In a particular embodiment, the STB devices 116 and 124 can access thesystem via the private access network 166 using information receivedfrom the client gateway 150. The private access network 166 providessecurity for the private network 110. User devices can access the clientgateway 150 via the private access network 166, and the client gateway150 can allow such devices to access the private network 110 once thedevices are authenticated or verified. Similarly, the client gateway 150can prevent unauthorized devices, such as hacker computers or stolen STBdevices from accessing the private network 110, by denying access tothese devices beyond the private access network 166.

For example, when the STB device 116 accesses the system 100 via theprivate access network 166, the client gateway 150 can verify subscriberinformation by communicating with the subscriber and system store 148via the private network 110, the first APP switch 138 and the second APPswitch 140. Further, the client gateway 150 can verify billinginformation and status by communicating with the OSS/BSS gateway 144 viathe private network 110 and the first APP switch 138. The OSS/BSSgateway 144 can transmit a query across the first APP switch 138, to thesecond APP switch 140, and the second APP switch 140 can communicate thequery across the public network 112 to the OSS/BSS server 164. After theclient gateway 150 confirms subscriber and/or billing information, theclient gateway 150 can allow the STB device 116 access to IPTV contentand VOD content. If the client gateway 150 cannot verify subscriberinformation for the STB device 116, such as because it is connected to adifferent twisted pair, the client gateway 150 can deny transmissions toand from the STB device 116 beyond the private access network 166.

The acquisition tier 106 includes an acquisition tier (AQT) switch 152that communicates with the private network 110. The AQT switch 152 canalso communicate with the operations and management tier 108 via thepublic network 112. In a particular embodiment, the AQT switch 152 canbe coupled to a live acquisition server 154 that receives televisioncontent, for example, from a broadcast service 156. Further, the AQTswitch can be coupled to a video-on-demand importer server 158 thatstores television content received at the acquisition tier 106 andcommunicate the stored content to the client-facing tier 102 via theprivate network 110.

The operations and management tier 108 can include an operations andmanagement tier (OMT) switch 160 that conducts communication between theoperations and management tier 108 and the public network 112. In theillustrated embodiment, the OMT switch 160 is coupled to a TV2 server162. Additionally, the OMT switch 160 can be coupled to an OSS/BSSserver 164 and to a simple network management protocol (SNMP) monitor166 that monitors network devices. In a particular embodiment, the OMTswitch 160 can communicate with the AQT switch 152 via the publicnetwork 112.

In a particular embodiment during operation of the IPTV system, the liveacquisition server 154 can acquire television content from the broadcastservice 156. The live acquisition server 154 in turn can transmit thetelevision content to the AQT switch 152 and the AQT switch 152 cantransmit the television content to the CFT switch 130 via the privatenetwork 110. Further, the television content can be encoded at theD-servers 132, and the CFT switch 130 can communicate the televisioncontent to the modems 114 and 122 via the private access network 166.The STB devices 116 and 124 can receive the television content from themodems 114 and 122, decode the television content, and transmit thecontent to the display devices 118 and 126 according to commands fromthe remote control devices 120 and 128.

Additionally, at the acquisition tier 106, the video-on-demand (VOD)importer server 158 can receive content from one or more VOD sourcesoutside the IPTV system 100, such as movie studios and programmers ofnon-live content. The VOD importer server 158 can transmit the VODcontent to the AQT switch 152, and the AQT switch 152 in turn cancommunicate the material to the CFT switch 130 via the private network110. The VOD content can be stored at one or more servers, such as theVOD server 136. When a user issues a request for VOD content to the STBdevice 116 or 124, the request can be transmitted over the privateaccess network 166 to the VOD server 136 via the CFT switch 130. Uponreceiving such a request, the VOD server 136 can retrieve requested VODcontent and transmit the content to the STB device 116 or 124 across theprivate access network 166 via the CFT switch 130. In an illustrativeembodiment, the live acquisition server 154 can transmit the televisioncontent to the AQT switch 152, and the AQT switch 152 in turn cantransmit the television content to the OMT switch 160 via the publicnetwork 112. In this embodiment, the OMT switch 160 can transmit thetelevision content to the TV2 server 162 for display to users accessingthe user interface at the TV2 server. For example, a user can access theTV2 server 162 using a personal computer 168 coupled to the publicnetwork 112.

The domain controller 146 communicates with the public network 112 viathe second APP switch 140. Additionally, the domain controller 146 cancommunicate via the public network 112 with the personal computer 168.For example, the domain controller 146 can display a web portal via thepublic network 112 and allow users to access the web portal using the PC168. Further, in an illustrative embodiment, the domain controller 146can communicate with at least one wireless network access point 178 overa data network 176. In this embodiment, each wireless network accessdevice 178 can communicate with user wireless devices such as a cellulartelephone 184.

In a particular embodiment, the STB devices 116 and 124 can include anSTB computer program 174 that is embedded within the STB memory device172 and a digital video recorder (DVR) 182. The STB computer program 174can contain instructions to receive and execute at least one usertelevision viewing preference that a user has entered by accessing anInternet user account via the domain controller 146. For example, theuser can use the PC 168 to access a web portal maintained by the domaincontroller 146 via the Internet. The domain controller 146 can query thesubscriber and system store 148 via the private network 110 for accountinformation associated with the user. In a particular embodiment, theaccount information can associate the user's Internet account with thesecond STB device 124. For instance, in an illustrative embodiment, theaccount information can relate the user's account to the second STBdevice 124 by associating the user account with an IP address of thesecond STB device, with data relating to one or more twisted pairsconnected with the second STB device, with data related to one or morefiber optic cables connected with the second STB device, with analphanumeric identifier of the second STB device, with any other datathat is suitable for associating second STB device with a user account,or with any combination of these. Further details of the IPTV system 100are taught in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0083895, thedisclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

In operation, the acquisition tier 106 provides television content tothe STB device 116 in a plurality of video streams. Each video streamcan represent a different television channel, on-demand program, or thelike. To display a particular television channel at the display device118, the STB device 116 sends a request to the acquisition tier 106 forthe video stream associated with the channel The acquisition tier 106provides the requested video stream to the STB device 116, whichprocesses the video stream for display at the display device 118.

The connection between the access network 166 and the STB device 116 hasa limited bandwidth so that only a limited number of video streams canbe transmitted to the STB device 116. The bandwidth limitation candepend on a number of factors, including the format of the videostreams. For example, high definition video streams typically require alarger video stream (i.e. a video stream having more information) than astandard definition video stream. Accordingly, the number of videostreams that can be transmitted to the STB device 116 depend on thisbandwidth limitation.

Requests for video streams can result from, for example, a request fromthe remote control device 120 to change a channel being displayed at thedisplay device 118. This request from a user to receive a particularvideo stream is referred to herein as a channel request. In response toreceiving a channel request, the STB device 116 determines whethertransmission of the requested video stream would result in the bandwidthlimitation being exceeded. If not, the STB device 116 requests the videostream from the acquisition tier 106. If the bandwidth limitation wouldbe exceeded, the STB device 116 determines which video streams are beingreceived and displays a list of the video streams at the display device118. The STB device 116 can also display an option to canceltransmission of one or more of the received video streams. With theremote control 120 or another input device, the user can select which ofthe listed video streams to cancel. In response, the STB device 116sends a request to the acquisition tier 106 to cancel transmission ofthe selected video stream. The STB device 116 also sends a request forthe video stream associated with the channel request. Accordingly, theuser can choose which streams are transmitted to the STB device 116,resulting in an improved user experience.

FIG. 2 shows a video monitoring system 200 including a residentialgateway 202, and STB devices 116, 124, 204, and 206. The residentialgateway 202 can be a bridge, a router, an Intelligent Network InterfaceDevice (INID), or any similar device. The residential gateway 202 is incommunication with the private network 110, the public network 112, andthe STB device 116. The STB device 116 is also in communication with theSTB devices 124, 204, and 206. A Cat5 cable, a high bandwidth wirelessconnection, a coaxial cable, or any similar type of cable and/orconnection can be used to connect the STB device 116 to the residentialgateway 202 and the STB devices 116, 204, and 206. The personal computer168 and the cellular telephone 184 access the private network 110through a secure login, and communicate with the STB device 116 throughthe private network and the residential gateway 202. As stated above,the cellular telephone 184 gains access to the private network 110 bythe wireless network access point 178 and the data network 176.

The residential gateway 202 provides access, security information, andidentification information for the STB device 116 to the private network110 and the public network 112. The residential gateway 202 alsotransmits data between the STB device 116 and the private network 110and the public network 112.

A customer premises 208 includes the STB devices 116, 124, 204, and 206,which are each associated with an individual display device (not shown).In operation, each of the STB devices 116, 124, 204, and 206 can receivechannel requests for the associated display devices. The STB devices124, 204, and 206 send these requests to the STB device 116, which inturn requests the associated video streams from the IPTV system 100.

In response to receiving a channel request either from a remote control,another input device, or from one of the STB devices 124, 204, and 206,the STB device 116 determines whether the video stream bandwidth for theIPTV system 100 would be exceeded. If not, the STB device 116 requeststhe video stream from the acquisition tier 106. If transmitting therequested video stream would result in the video stream bandwidth beingexceeded, the STB device 116 determines the video streams beingtransmitted to the customer premises 108 and provides a list of thevideo streams for display. The list can be displayed via any of the STBdevices 116, 124, 204, and 206. In one embodiment, the list is displayedat the display device associated with the STB device that sent thechannel request.

The STB device 116 can also provide the list of channels beingtransmitted in response to a user request. For example, a user can use aremote control device associated with one of the STB devices 116, 124204, and 206 to request display of a list of video streams beingreceived. In response, the STB device 116 determines the video streamsbeing transmitted to the customer premises 208 and provides the list fordisplay. This allows a user to determine which video streams are beingtransmitted to the customer premises 208 without requesting a new videostream. Additionally, a user can use a peripheral device, such as thepersonal computer 168, the cellular telephone 184, or a personal digitalassistant (not shown), to send a request to the STB device 116 and todisplay the list of channels being transmitted to the customer premises208. This allows the user to monitor the channels being transmitted tothe customer premises 208 from a remote location.

FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of a particular embodiment of a videosystem 300 including the STB device 116, the display device 118, and theremote control device 120. The STB device 116 includes a menu button302, an up button 304, a down button 306, a left button 308, a rightbutton 310, and an OK button 312. The STB device 116 also includes areceiver 314 incorporated therein. In a particular embodiment, thereceiver 314 can be an IR receiver, an RF receiver, or a similarreceiver.

The remote control device 120 includes a plurality of buttons. Forexample, the remote control device 120 includes a directional keypad 330used to navigate within the various content windows provided by the STBdevice 116. Moreover, the remote control device 120 includes achannel/page (CH/PG) up/down button 332. The CH/PG button 332 can beused to change the channel at the STB device 116 or navigate frompage-to-page within a content guide provided by the STB device. Theremote control device 120 also includes a numerical keypad 334 having aplurality of buttons that are individually numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,8, 9, and 0. In a particular embodiment, the numerical keypad 334 isused to input a specific channel number or to input a personalidentification number (PIN). The display device 118 includes a displayscreen 320 and an infrared (IR) receiver, a radio frequency (RF)receiver, or a similar receiver 228. The display 340 includes aplurality of information about the video streams being displayed andincludes a show name field 342, a show status field 344, an option field346, and a subset video stream field 348 for each video stream beingreceived. The show name field 342 presents the user with a title of avideo stream, while the show status field 344 can display various statusinformation for the video stream, including whether the video stream isbeing shown, recorded, or scheduled for recording. The option field 346provides a termination option 350 and/or a cancel option 352 as softbuttons that are selectable by a user. The subset video stream field 348can be a thumbnail video stream, to present the user with videoassociated with the video stream. The display 340 also includes a newvideo stream field 354, to present information associated with arequested video stream that is not yet being transmitted to the STBdevice 116. In a particular embodiment, the new video stream field 354is in a different color than the video streams currently being displayedor recorded.

In operation, the display 340 is presented in response to a channelrequest that would result in a bandwidth limitation of the IPTV system100 being exceeded. The display 340 can be also presented in response tothe user selecting the menu button 302 on the STB device or the listbutton 336 on the remote control device 120. The show name field 342,the show status field 344, and the subset video stream field 348 allowthe user to determine which video streams are being transmitted to theSTB device 116, and to allow the user to select a video stream toterminate. For example, in response to reviewing the information on thedisplay 340, the user can select the termination option 350 associatedwith the “News at 7” being viewed as a recorded show, or the user canselect the cancel option 352 associated with the “West Wing” that is setto be recorded in 5 minutes. In response to selection of the terminationoption 350 or the cancellation option 352, the STB device 116 sends arequest to the acquisition tier 106 to terminate transmission of theassociated video stream. The STB device 116 also sends a request to theacquisition tier 106 for the new video stream requested by a user.

The STB device 116 can require security information, such as a passwordor a personal identification number (PIN) before requesting thattransmission of a video stream be terminated. The security informationcan be entered using the remote control device 120. In response todetermining the security information is accurate, the STB device 116 cansend a message to the STB devices 124, 204, and 206 indicating that thevideo stream is going to be terminated. Upon the termination of thevideo stream, the STB device 116 also can send an alternate video streamto the STB device 124, 204, or 206.

FIG. 4 shows a particular embodiment of the STB device 116 including theSTB processor 170, the STB memory device 172, the STB computer program174, a network interface module 402, and a display interface module 404.The STB device 116 also includes a communication module 406 and areceiver module 408. The network interface module 402 is incommunication with the residential gateway 202 and is coupled to the STBprocessor 170. The STB memory device 172 includes the STB computerprogram 174, a list of video streams 410, and a recorded video stream412. The STB memory device 172 is coupled to the STB processor 170. Thedisplay interface module 404 is coupled to the STB processor 170, andadapted to communicate with a display device (not shown). Thecommunication module 406 is also coupled to the STB processor 170, andadapted to communicate with the STB devices 124, 204, and 206. Thereceiver module 408 is coupled to the STB processor 170, and is adaptedto communicate with the remote control device 120.

The network interface module 402 is adapted to access the privatenetwork 110 or the public network 112 in the IPTV system 100 through theresidential gateway 202. Accordingly, the network interface module 402provides a physical and logical link layer for communications betweenthe residential gateway 202 and the STB device 116. In an embodiment,these communications are implemented via transmission and reception ofpackets, and the network interface module 402 is responsible for thephysical reception and transmission of the packets. The networkinterface module 402 can also perform additional communication overheadfunctions, such as error checking, flow control, or the like.

The STB memory device 172 is a computer memory, including a volatilememory such as a random access memory (RAM) or non-volatile memory suchas a flash memory or a hard disk. The STB memory device 172 isconfigured to store information including the STB computer program 174,the list of the plurality of video streams being displayed 410, and therecorded video streams 412 received from the IPTV system 100. The STBmemory device 172 can also store recorded video streams 412.

The STB processor 170 is a data processor configured to execute computerinstructions, control other modules of the STB device 116, or the like.In an embodiment, the STB processor 170 is a video processor configuredto process received video streams and to place the video streams in anappropriate format for display. The STB processor 170 can also beconfigured to manage channel requests received at the STB device 116.For example, the processor 170 can be configured to determine whichvideo streams should be requested from the acquisition tier 106 based ona received request.

The display interface module 404 is a processor module configured toreceive display information from the STB processor 170 and control thedisplay device 118, based on the received information. Accordingly, thedisplay interface module 404 provides a physical layer for communicationof display information to the display device 118.

The communication module 406 provides an interface between the STBdevice 116 and the STB devices 124, 204, and 206. The communicationmodule 406 thus provides a physical and logical link layer forcommunications between the devices. Accordingly, the communicationmodule 406 can receive channel requests form the STB devices 124, 204,and 206 and provide video streams responsive to these requests. Thereceiver module 408 is configured to provide a physical communicationslayer between the STB device 116 and the remote control device 120.Accordingly, the receiver module 408 is configured to receive infraredsignals from the remote control device 120 and transform these signalsto an appropriate form for processing at the STB device 116.

During operation, the IPTV system 100 transmits a plurality of videostreams to the network interface module 402. The network interfacemodule 402 receives the video streams and provides them to the STBprocessor 170. The STB processor 170 determines if a received videostream should be displayed at the display device 118 and, if so,provides the video stream to the display interface module 404. The STBprocessor 170 can also route video streams to one of the STB devices124, 204, and 206 via the communication module 406. In addition, the STBprocessor 170 can record a video stream by saving the video stream atthe STB memory device 172 in the recorded video streams 412.Furthermore, the STB processor 170 maintains the list of video streamsstored at the STB memory device 172. The list of video streams 410 canbe used as a basis for a displayed list of video streams.

For example, the STB processor 170 can receive a request to display alist of transmitted video streams. These requests can be received fromthe remote control device 120, via the receiver module 408, from one ofthe STB device 124, 204, or 206 via the communication module 406, or viaa peripheral device via the network interface module 402. The request issent to the STB processor 170, which accesses the list of video streams410 in the STB memory device 172 to retrieve the list of video streams410 and creates a display based on the list. The STB processor 170 sendsthe display to the display interface module 404, the communicationmodule 406, or the network interface module 402 depending on the sourceof the request.

The STB processor 170 can also receive a channel request from the remotecontrol device 120 via the receiver module 408 or from one of the STBdevices 124, 204, or 206 via the communication module 406. The channelrequest can be a request to access a new video stream, change the formatof a video stream, or to record a video stream. Upon receiving thechannel request, the STB processor 170 determines if transmission of thenew video stream would exceed the bandwidth. If not, the networkinterface module 402 requests the new video stream from the acquisitiontier 106. However, if transmission of the new video stream would exceedthe bandwidth limit, the STB processor 170 retrieves the list of videostreams 410 being transmitted, and provides them for display on thedisplay device 118, or the STB devices 124, 204, or 206 depending on thesource of the channel request.

Further, the STB processor 170 can receive a request to terminatetransmission of a video stream or to cancel a recording of a videostream from the remote control device 120 via the receiver module 408 orfrom one of the STB devices 124, 204, or 206 via the communicationmodule 406. The STB processor 170 sends the termination request to thenetwork interface module 402 for communication to the acquisition tier106. In addition, the STB processor 170 provides a terminationnotification message, either to the display interface module 404 fordisplay at the display device 118 or to one of the STB devices 124, 204,or 206 depending on the source of the termination request. Upon thetermination of the video stream, the display interface module 404 andthe communication module 406 can send a new video stream received by thenetwork interface module 402 to the display device 120 and the STBdevices 124, 204, and 206.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram of a particular embodiment of a method500 for accessing a video stream in the IPTV system 100. At block 502, aSTB device receives a plurality of video streams in an Internet Protocolformat from the IPTV system 100. The STB device may be an IPTV receiveror any similar device for receiving video streams. The STB devicereceives a request to display, record, or change the format of a firstvideo stream not included in a plurality of video streams beingtransmitted to the STB device at block 504. The request can be receivedfrom a remote control device and/or a STB device. At block 506, the STBdevice outputs a list of video streams being transmitted. The STB devicereceives a request to terminate transmission of a second video streamincluded in the plurality of video streams being displayed at block 508.The request to terminate can be received from a remote control device, aSTB device, a personal computer, a cellular telephone, or personaldigital assistant.

At block 510, the STB device determines if security informationpermitting termination of the second video stream is received. Thesecurity information can be a personal identification number (PIN), apassword, and the like. If the security information is not received,then the STB device denies the request to terminate transmission of thesecond video stream included in the plurality of video streams beingdisplayed at block 512. At block 514, if the security information isreceived and verified, then the STB device sends a message to a secondSTB device displaying the second video stream indicating that the secondvideo stream is to be terminated. The STB device sends a request to theIPTV system 100 to terminate transmission of the second video stream atblock 516. At block 518, the STB device sends the first video stream tothe STB device.

FIG. 6 illustrates a flow diagram of a particular embodiment of a method600 for outputting a list of video streams being displayed. At block602, a STB device receives a plurality of video streams in an InternetProtocol format. The STB device receives a request to view the list ofvideo streams being displayed by a plurality of STB devices at block604. The request can be received from a remote control device, a STBdevice, and/or a peripheral device in communication with the STB device.The peripheral device may be a cellular telephone, a personal computer,and/or a personal digital assistant. At block 606, the STB deviceoutputs the list of video streams being displayed to a display device,the STB device, or the peripheral device.

The illustrations of the embodiments described herein are intended toprovide a general understanding of the structure of the variousembodiments. The illustrations are not intended to serve as a completedescription of all of the elements and features of apparatus and systemsthat utilize the structures or methods described herein. Many otherembodiments may be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewingthe disclosure. Other embodiments may be utilized and derived from thedisclosure, such that structural and logical substitutions and changesmay be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure.Additionally, the illustrations are merely representational and may notbe drawn to scale. Certain proportions within the illustrations may beexaggerated, while other proportions may be minimized Accordingly, thedisclosure and the FIGS. are to be regarded as illustrative rather thanrestrictive.

The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R.§1.72(b) and is submitted with the understanding that it will not beused to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. Inaddition, in the foregoing Detailed Description of the Drawings, variousfeatures may be grouped together or described in a single embodiment forthe purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This disclosure is not to beinterpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodimentsrequire more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather,as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter may bedirected to less than all of the features of any of the disclosedembodiments. Thus, the following claims are incorporated into theDetailed Description of the Drawings, with each claim standing on itsown as defining separately claimed subject matter.

The above disclosed subject matter is to be considered illustrative, andnot restrictive, and the appended claims are intended to cover all suchmodifications, enhancements, and other embodiments which fall within thetrue spirit and scope of the present disclosed subject matter. Thus, tothe maximum extent allowed by law, the scope of the present disclosedsubject matter is to be determined by the broadest permissibleinterpretation of the following claims and their equivalents, and shallnot be restricted or limited by the foregoing detailed description.

What is claimed is:
 1. A media processor comprising: a processing systemincluding a processor; and a memory storing executable instructionsthat, when executed by the processing system, perform operationscomprising: receiving a plurality of video streams from a mediadistribution system, wherein the media processor is configured tooperate in an environment that has a bandwidth limitation so that only alimited number of video streams can be received, and wherein theplurality of video streams from the media distribution system do notexceed the bandwidth limitation; transmitting the plurality of videostreams to a plurality of secondary media processors; receiving achannel request from a first media processor of the plurality ofsecondary media processors; determining that fulfilling the channelrequest while transmitting the plurality of video streams would resultin exceeding the bandwidth limitation; providing a listing of theplurality of video streams responsive to determining that fulfilling thechannel request would result in exceeding the bandwidth limitation,wherein the listing comprises a graphical user interface, wherein thegraphical user interface presents for each of the plurality of videostreams an identifier, wherein the graphical user interface presents foreach of the plurality of video streams an input mechanism, and whereineach input mechanism enables selective adjustment of one of theplurality of video streams; receiving a first adjustment request andassociated security information from the first media processor to adjusta first video stream of the plurality of video streams, wherein thefirst adjustment request originates from a selection of the inputmechanism corresponding to the first video stream of the plurality ofvideo streams, and wherein adjustment of the first video stream isconditioned upon authenticating the associated security information; andtransmitting a message to at least one of the plurality of secondarymedia processors indicating that the first video stream is going to beadjusted.
 2. The media processor of claim 1, wherein the operationsfurther comprise transmitting a second adjustment request to the mediadistribution system to adjust the first video stream according to thefirst adjustment request.
 3. The media processor of claim 1, wherein thechannel request is to change a format of a video stream.
 4. The mediaprocessor of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprisetransmitting an alternate video stream to at least one of the pluralityof secondary media processors in response to adjustment of the firstvideo stream.
 5. The media processor of claim 1, wherein the graphicaluser interface further presents, for each of the plurality of videostreams, a status indication of whether the respective video stream isbeing shown or being recorded.
 6. The media processor of claim 1,wherein: the identifier for each of the plurality of video streamscomprises a title of the respective video stream; and the graphical userinterface further presents, for each of the plurality of video streams,a thumbnail of the respective video stream.
 7. The media processor ofclaim 1, wherein each input mechanism comprises a control button on thegraphical user interface.
 8. The media processor of claim 1, wherein thelisting of the plurality of video streams is provided to the first mediaprocessor.
 9. The media processor of claim 8, wherein the first mediaprocessor provides the first adjustment request and the associatedsecurity information.
 10. The media processor of claim 1, wherein thelisting of the plurality of video streams is provided to the pluralityof secondary media processors.
 11. The media processor of claim 10,wherein a second media processor of the plurality of secondary mediaprocessors provides the first adjustment request and the associatedsecurity information.
 12. A method comprising: receiving, by a primarymedia device comprising a processor and a memory, a plurality of videostreams from a media distribution system, wherein a communication pathbetween the media distribution system and the primary media device has abandwidth limitation so that only a limited number of video streams canbe received, and wherein the plurality of video streams from the mediadistribution system does not exceed the bandwidth limitation;transmitting, by the primary media device, the plurality of videostreams to a plurality of secondary media devices; receiving, by theprimary media device, a channel listing request from a communicationdevice; providing, by the primary media device, a first listing of theplurality of video streams to the communication device responsive to thechannel listing request, wherein the first listing comprises a firstgraphical user interface, wherein the first graphical user interfacepresents for each of the plurality of video streams an identifier,wherein the first graphical user interface presents for each of theplurality of video streams a control mechanism, and wherein each controlmechanism enables selective adjustment of one of the plurality of videostreams; receiving, by the primary media device, a first adjustmentrequest and associated security information from the communicationdevice to adjust a first video stream of the plurality of video streams,wherein the first adjustment request originates from a selection of thecontrol mechanism corresponding to the first video stream of theplurality of video streams, and wherein adjustment of the first videostream is conditioned upon authenticating the associated securityinformation; and transmitting, by the primary media device, a message toat least one of the plurality of secondary media devices indicating thatthe first video stream is going to be adjusted.
 13. The method of claim12, wherein the communication device is selected from a group consistingof a cellular telephone, a personal computer, a set-top box, and apersonal digital assistant.
 14. The method of claim 12, furthercomprising transmitting, by the primary media device, a secondadjustment request to the media distribution system to adjust the firstvideo stream according to the first adjustment request.
 15. The methodof claim 12, further comprising transmitting, by the primary mediadevice, an alternate video stream to at least one of the plurality ofsecondary media devices in response to adjustment of the first videostream.
 16. The method of claim 12, wherein the first graphical userinterface further presents, for each of the plurality of video streams,a status indication of whether the respective video stream is beingshown or being recorded.
 17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:receiving, by the primary media device, a channel request from a firstmedia device of the plurality of secondary media devices; determining,by the primary media device, that fulfilling the channel request whiletransmitting the plurality of video streams would result in exceedingthe bandwidth limitation; and providing, by the primary media device, asecond listing of the plurality of video streams responsive todetermining that fulfilling the channel request would result inexceeding the bandwidth limitation, wherein the second listing comprisesa second graphical user interface, wherein the second graphical userinterface comprises a show name field to identify a title of each of theplurality of video streams, a status field to indicate whether each ofthe plurality of video streams is being shown or recorded, and a controlfield comprising a control mechanism for each of the plurality of videostreams to selectively adjust one of the plurality of video streams, andwherein the second graphical user interface presents a thumbnail of eachof the plurality of video streams.
 18. A non-transitory machine-readablestorage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executedby a primary media processor, perform operations comprising: receiving aplurality of video streams from a media distribution system via acommunication mechanism that has a bandwidth limitation, wherein due tothe bandwidth limitation only a limited number of video streams can bereceived, and wherein the plurality of video streams from the mediadistribution system does not exceed the bandwidth limitation;transmitting the plurality of video streams to a plurality of secondarymedia devices; receiving a channel request from a first media device ofthe plurality of secondary media devices; determining that transmittingthe plurality of video streams while fulfilling the channel requestwould result in exceeding the bandwidth limitation; providing a listingof the plurality of video streams responsive to determining thatfulfilling the channel request would result in exceeding the bandwidthlimitation, wherein the listing comprises a graphical user interface,wherein the graphical user interface presents an identifier for each ofthe plurality of video streams, wherein the graphical user interfacepresents a control mechanism for each of the plurality of video streams,and wherein each control mechanism enables selective adjustment of oneof the plurality of video streams; receiving an adjustment request andassociated security information from the first media device to adjust afirst video stream of the plurality of video streams, wherein theadjustment request originates from a selection of the control mechanismcorresponding to the first video stream of the plurality of videostreams, and wherein adjustment of the first video stream is conditionedupon authenticating the associated security information; andtransmitting information to at least one of the plurality of secondarymedia devices indicating that the first video stream is going to beadjusted.
 19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium ofclaim 18, wherein each of the plurality of secondary media devices isselected from a group consisting of a cellular telephone, a personalcomputer, a set-top box, and a personal digital assistant.
 20. Thenon-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein thechannel request is to change a format of a video stream.